Castle of Glass
by Concolor44
Summary: Songfic. There are certain aspects of his position that Batman really doesn't like. His oversight of the Teen Titans, and the duties that come with it, fall into that category.


Castle of Glass

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_[A/N: This was directly inspired by the Linkin Park song of the same name. If you haven't seen the video – even if you don't LIKE Linkin Park – you should go now and take a look at it._

_FFnet does not allow the publication of copyrighted song lyrics on this site, so I am not going to include them here. You be the judge as to whether or not that makes a difference.]_

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In utter silence, the Watchtower shuttle disengaged from the Justice League's battle-scarred space station, and fell rapidly toward the round, blue planet below. Once it entered the atmosphere, the pilot kicked in the scramjets, hauling the craft's nose around to the east, away from the open waters of the Pacific Ocean, and toward the coast of California. At five times the speed of sound, it was not terribly long before land came in sight, and soon after, the sparkling T-shaped tower that represented safety – or retribution – to the people of Jump City.

Angling his VTOL jets expertly, the pilot brought the sleek ship to a gentle landing on the tower's roof. He powered down the engines, letting them idle to a gradual halt while they cooled. If they were stopped too suddenly, the extreme residual heat might warp something, and he couldn't allow that to happen, even in these circumstances. But it was not too many minutes before he was able bring them to rest. In the meantime, the roof access door had opened, and a slim figure walked slowly across the tuffcrete surface to stand beside the shuttle, her long, red hair swirling in the wash.

Finally, the pilot was able to leave the cockpit and make his way to the hatch. With the slightest hiss, the door opened and the ladder extended to the roof. He marched down it, back ramrod straight, eyes narrowed in grim determination, and walked up to the waiting girl. They held each other's gaze for two seconds before he said, "Princess Koriand'r."

She drew a deep breath and answered, "Hello, Bruce." Then her composure fled, her lower lip trembled, tears flooded her eyes, and she launched herself, sobbing, into the older man's arms.

There are many who think that the Batman is an emotionless force of vengeance, that he has ruthlessly exterminated any lingering feelings, rejecting them as weaknesses, and that love and mercy, joy and empathy are concepts foreign to his makeup.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

He does, however, maintain an unparalleled level of _**control**_ over his emotional responses, since allowing his heart to rule his head would have led to a grisly death many times over. In this case, holding the girl he considered to be his daughter-in-law, he felt compelled to offer as much comfort as he was capable of. His strong arms supported her as she wept and wept, her tears thoroughly wetting the front of his costume. Many minutes passed while he made soft, sympathetic noises and stroked her flaming cascade of hair until, punctuated by the occasional hiccup, she was able to say, "I could not … believe … your message. I was … certain that the … transmission was … flawed."

He only shook his head, eyes closed. "I wish to God I could say that it was a mistake."

Sniffling a few more times and rubbing fiercely at her face, the Tamaranean asked, "Where is he?"

"Still on Octal."

She absorbed that information. Then, with another small tremor running through her, she asked, "When will … when will they bring him …"

"The escort ship should leave tomorrow." He glanced at the chronometer on his belt. "Actually in … about fifteen hours now, I make it."

Her clear, viridian gaze held his. "Do you still feel I should accompany you?"

He gave a short nod. "She will appreciate it."

"Then let us go now."

"My thoughts exactly."

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Raven leaned her head back against the bole of the enormous silver maple that dominated the back yard of their house, content to let the stray beams of the late morning sun play across her face as they peeked through the shifting leaves. Her children were finally asleep, sprawled on the blanket by her feet, and she wanted nothing more than a few minutes of peace, a rare enough occurrence since their arrival some three months earlier. The corners of her mouth quirked just the tiniest bit as she considered their circumstances, this series of thoughts never very far from her mind. She, the hybrid offspring of demon and human, the 'mule', the undoubtedly barren one, destined never to reproduce … had given birth to twins. It figured, she thought, in retrospect, that Gar Logan's wildly unstable DNA would be the only such source on the planet that could have led to her gravid state. Not that she minded. Once they had got over the shock of her pregnancy, the couple had been _beyond_ overjoyed at the prospect of being parents. And she had to admit, against all sane odds, Gar was shaping up to be a fine father.

The two of them had given up the hero biz, at least until they figured things out, and had semi-retired to a 150-hectare patch of forest in the hills about eighty kilometers north of Jump City. That way they could still see their friends regularly, but would have the privacy they both felt would be necessary in raising their offspring. For there was, they knew, _no __**telling**_ what sorts of powers the children would develop.

Thus far, though, the answer was: none. The babies (a pair of girls, both of whom were obvious blondes) seemed delightfully normal in every way. No odd skin tones, no fangs, no pointy ears … and no manipulation of eldritch forces. For this turn of events, Raven was incredibly relieved. _We just might pull this off_, she thought to herself.

A shadow fell over her, causing her to open her eyes and notice a tall glass of ice tea hovering in front of her face.

"Thought you could use this."

Turning a grateful smile to her friend, Raven said, "Thanks, Jinx," and took the glass. A long sip later, she sighed in satisfaction. "Fresh spearmint. Lovely. Could have used you in the Tower back in the day."

"Hey," retorted the bad-luck charm, flipping her long, pink braid over one plaid-flannel-clad shoulder, "I _**was**_ in the Tower a couple times."

"I meant as a teammate, not as an invader. Or at least as a guest. This tea is …"

"Amazing, yeah, I know. Just like me."

Raven let that one pass. "Where's Jenny?"

"In the fairy mound."

"… Again? Aren't they tired of her yet?"

"Hey, she's _**my**_ daughter! They won't get tired of _**her**_ 'til _**we're**_ both gray an' wrinkly."

"Eh. You are very likely correct, even though, technically, I'm already gray."

"Hair, Rae, I meant your hair."

The empath only smirked. "They couldn't keep her out in any case."

"No, they couldn't. They've tried twice so far."

"Twice? I only knew of one time."

"It was … Tuesday? Couple days back, anyhow. They'd glamoured the door so she couldn't find it. She tried a few spells, but everything glanced off or got absorbed, and she got impatient. So she just vibrated her way inside."

Raven clucked her tongue. "You and Wally. That combination packed a very impressive genetic punch."

"Did, didn't it?"

Raven patted the fine, short grass beside her. "Have a seat. Take a load off."

Jinx plopped down on her belly, elbows at the edge of the blanket, and studied the twins. "They sure are growin' fast."

"Not as fast as Jenny grew. I began to suspect some extra-dimensional influence there."

"Prob'ly." Craning her head around to catch Raven's eye, she added, "Wally's whole family is screwy that way, ya know. Direct connection to the speed force?" Chuckling, she tacked on, "He started getting his suits from that dimension when he turned twenty-one. His uncle showed him how. So now he runs around in pants that are made of 'Really Fast'."

Raven had to giggle at that. "You do have a turn of phrase."

Jinx turned over onto her back and laced her fingers behind her head. "An' now Jenny's almost six."

"Going on twenty-eight."

"Heh. Yeah. Precocious little thing. She'll be the smart one in the family, for sure."

"She's already smarter than Wally."

That brought a long laugh from the pink-haired girl. "Yeah, well, I love him and all, but I'm not gonna argue that point with you."

Raven reached over and let her hand hover above Jinx's midsection. "Hm. Junior's coming along. But you're nearly three months in and not showing at all yet."

A horizontal shrug preceded, "Did the same with Jenny. You weren't around then …"

"You mean _**you**_ weren't around _**here**_ then."

"Semantics. You didn't see me. I've always worked out religiously and being preggers didn't change that. Doc Mason ain't worried."

"I'm not _**worried**_, Jinx. I'm envious. I blew up like a beach ball."

"Aw, come on! You're already back to your pre-preg weight. Besides, gaining thirty pounds don't qualify you as a 'beach ball', girl. You were deadly cute is what you were." She puffed out her own cheeks and said, "Got that adorable little round face to go with your pregnant glow. Ol' Gar could barely keep his hands off you."

Raven had the grace to blush. "Entirely beside the point."

"Hey, I told you when I got here you needed to exercise more. Just 'cause you don't usually fight physically when you fight …"

"Yeah, yeah, I've heard all that before."

"From me."

"So why the need to say it all over …"

A tiny, red-headed blur in a green jumpsuit zipped to a stop in front of them and announced, loudly, "Mommy, Mommy! There's a car comin' up the driveway."

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Batman pulled to a slow stop in front of the Logans' rustic home, and sat there for a few slow breaths, gathering his thoughts.

"Are you feeling well enough to do this, Bruce?"

He glanced over at Starfire. They had barely said a dozen words to each other in the last half hour, each being absorbed in his or her own ruminations. Drawing another long breath and letting it flow back out his nose, he answered, "How I feel is of no consequence. I'm here. I have to do it."

"What are you going to say to her?"

"… The truth."

Laying a hand on his shoulder, she gave him a squeeze and then got out of the car. They walked up to the door together, and Batman rang the bell.

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"A car?" Jinx glanced over at Raven. "You expecting anybody?"

"… No. Gar isn't due back from Sacramento 'til tomorrow." She closed her eyes and concentrated, allowing her empathic field free access to the approaching visitors. Then her eyes flew open in alarm. "Something's wrong."

"Whaddaya mean by 'wrong'?"

"… I'm not sure. But two people are parking in front of the house right now, and one of them is Starfire, and she's … really upset."

"Star? Why ain't she flying?"

"I can't tell." She leaned forward and picked up her daughters, using tendrils of soul-self to aid the process. "But I'm going to find out." And they all trooped into the house, getting to the kitchen in time to hear the doorbell.

"Since when does Star bother with your doorbell?"

"That wasn't Star." She hurriedly laid the babies in their bassinettes and nearly ran to the front door, Jinx and Jenny close behind.

Finding the Batman standing on her front porch wasn't something that was calculated to set Raven's mind at ease. Knowing him, though, he wouldn't beat around the bush. "Hello."

"Hello, Raven. I understand that …" He switched his gaze to just past her shoulder. "… ah. Jinx."

"Yeah? What's goin' on? Why are you …" Starfire's sudden, sobbing intake of breath interrupted her. "Why are you here?" A cold, hard lump of dread congealed in her gut.

"May we come in?"

Raven held the door for them. "Please. Would you like something to drink?"

"Uh, no. Thank you." He stepped inside, and turned to face Jinx. "Mrs. West …" He had to close his eyes and pull a long breath. "… Jinx. It is my very sad duty to …"

"No!"

Her denial stopped him. She knew _**exactly**_ what he was about to say.

Raven's hand went to her throat. "Oh, Goddess, please, no."

Jinx stepped right up into his face. "That's bullshit! He's just disappeared off somewhere. He does that all the time, even if he _**is**_ a League member now, even if he _**is**_ on a mission. He'll turn up."

"… Jinx, I …"

"Shut up! You don't know! You don't know anything!" Jinx felt her daughter's fingers slip into hers, and she held on tightly, still facing Batman.

"Mommy? What's wrong?"

Batman looked down at the little girl and then back up at Jinx, whose wide, furious eyes were beginning to glisten. "He's … he's not missing, Jinx."

Jenny tugged on Jinx's hand. "Who's not missing, Mommy?" She looked around and then asked, "Why is ever'body cryin'?"

Slowly, reluctantly, Batman knelt until he was at eye-level with the girl. "Jenny, is it?"

She nodded, that solemn look on her face that little kids can manage so well. "You're the Batman. Daddy talks about you. He says you're scary." She cocked her head to the side and reached out a hand to his face. "You don't look very scary to me."

He took her hand in both of his. "Jenny, I had to come to see you and your mother. I'm afraid I have some … some really bad news."

A few blinks answered that statement. Her breathing sped up. "Is it about Daddy?"

Batman glanced up at Jinx. Her closed eyes were leaking tears steadily. Then he gave Jenny a nod. "Yes. Your Daddy … was leading a mission. There were … some very bad … creatures. They were invading and killing the people of the planet Octal. The Justice League went to help."

Jenny just stared at him.

"There was a … a big fight. There were a lot more of the invaders than …"

"Is Daddy dead?"

It wasn't often that Bruce Wayne found himself surprised. He rocked back on his heels. "… Yes. He is."

Jenny turned and hugged her mother's leg. Jinx sort of folded, plopping down to the floor and taking her daughter onto her lap while whispering, "Ohgodohgodohgodohgodohgod…"

Starfire knelt, too, and wrapped the grieving woman in a tight hug. "I am so very, very sorry, friend Jinx! I got the message and … I could not believe … did not wish to believe that he …"

Batman said, "I realize that it is no consolation in your present straits, Jinx, but you should know that almost two billion sentients owe him their lives."

She didn't answer, only hugging her daughter more tightly to her chest. Jenny's unwavering gaze was fixed on Batman. "He said that might happen."

Jinx took a sobbing breath and caught her daughter's attention. "What? What was that? What'd he say?"

"Daddy told me. He said bein' in the League was dangerous. He said some of 'em might get killed." She paused in thought and then nodded. "He told me that before. He said it might be him." She laid her small hand on Jinx's stomach. "He said I'd have to help take care of Joey if he died."

Jinx stared at her daughter as if seeing her for the first time. She managed to squeak out, "… Joey?"

"That's what Daddy said the baby's name is. He said I was s'posed to tell you. It was just in case."

At that, Jinx finally and truly lost it. She couldn't form a coherent word, much less a sentence, and just held her daughter and rocked and rocked and rocked, the other two women crying along with her.

Batman stood. These situations never failed to leave him feeling intensely awkward. There was nothing he could do to improve the outcome, nothing he could say that would soften the news … nothing he could do that would help. Being helpless wasn't a feeling he was AT ALL comfortable with, and he hated it.

He hated this job. Yes, it came with the position, but he hated it all the same. There was no "right" way to tell someone that his or her most important person in the world had died.

At length, Starfire noticed his obvious distress, and she stood and came over to him. "Bruce, you should go now."

"Will you be all right to get back on your own?"

"I will not be returning to the Tower for a few days, I think. Jinx needs me … needs us here."

"… Very well." He regarded the alien for a moment, then turned his attention to Jinx. "If there is anything that I can do for her, would you …"

"Of course. It is how we all feel. But I will tell her."

"Thanks."

The drive back to Jump was much, much too long. Introspection, under those circumstances, wasn't necessarily a good thing.

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_Author's End Note:_

_I will use the same quote from Winston Churchill that Linkin Park used in the video._

"_All great things are simple, and many can be expressed in single words: Freedom, Justice, Honor, Duty, Mercy, Hope."_

_I know it is very little in the grand scheme of things, but I would like for you, Gentle Reader, to join me in honoring and thanking the brave men and women of the Armed Forces that have laid down their lives over the generations in order to secure our freedom. Let us never take it for granted._


End file.
